


neverending story

by kittykais



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: 2min are idiots who dont know how to kiss each other on the lips, Blood, CEOs, Dreams, Entertainment Companies, Fluff, M/M, Nightmares, Reincarnation, Soulmates, chia is tired, chia wants sleep, guys i have an actual playlist for this omg omg, how to be whipped for a squirrel: a comprehensive guide by hwang hyunjin, jeongin stop sending seungmin flowers that mean fuck you please, mentions of death but no character death, mentions of homophobia (but not much), seo changbin and bang chans furrysome adventures, seungmin stop being such a tsundere por favor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:28:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28066257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittykais/pseuds/kittykais
Summary: Two people. Kim Seungmin. Lee Minho. Soulmates. Connected. Bound together by the strings of time and space itself. Throughout every life they’ve lived, in every world that has been entered, they have been together. Their story is neverending, it continues even after death.(Changbin frowns. This is a new realization. “Chan hyung, are we furries?”Chan chokes, swallowing his coffee quickly and then sputtering at the very….forward question.Chan looks around the room, ears getting redder he takes note of just how many furry items there are. Oh no. Chan turns to look at Changbin, eyes wide and skin much paler than usual. “Changbin...I think we are.”)OR: a reincarnation ceo soulmate 2min au that i only wrote because i saw 2min in suits and ive been watching/reading too many reincarnation things latelySTARRING: two ceos by the name of kim seungmin and lee minhoFEATURING: yang jeongin please stop sending flowers to seungmin yes i know youre just telling him to fuck off but minho doesn't and he's getting jealous (the rest of stray kids in various chaotic positions)have fun :D (PLS DROP A COMMENT IM DESPERATE)
Relationships: Bang Chan/Seo Changbin, Han Jisung | Han/Hwang Hyunjin, Kim Seungmin/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 113
Kudos: 141





	1. An introduction to the furryful life of Bang Chan and Seo Changbin

**Author's Note:**

> okay listen i was originally going to write this all out and then have a stable updating schedule but that Failed™ hAH so now bear with me and my disappearing for three months yes yes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> screams okay so this is my newest project and im actually trying to finish this one i have put a lot of effort into the planning (so much more than i usually do) and i have a coherent outline so im hoping that my motivation wont run out ( ;) ;) you can always give me more motivation just by commenting uwu) and that i actually finish this because i desperately want to !!
> 
> anyways enjoy this mess :D ily all pls comment

_Reincarnation_ . Also called transmigration or metempsychosis, in religion and philosophy, rebirth of the aspect of an individual that persists after bodily death—whether it be consciousness, mind, the soul, or some other entity—in one or more successive existences. (Briticanna). _Love_ . An intense feeling of deep affection. A great interest and pleasure in something. To feel deep affection for (someone). To like or enjoy very much. (Oxford). _Soulmate_. A person ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner. (Oxford). Someone who you are bound to. Yours. Yours, once again. 

Two people. Kim Seungmin. Lee Minho. Soulmates. Connected. Bound together by the strings of time and space itself. Throughout every life they’ve lived, in every world that has been entered, they have been together. 

Bang Chan watches the dark red string wrap around their pinkies, tightening and looping to form an intricate rope of design around both their bodies. He doesn’t know what year it is. What time. What era. It might be the 1900s, but he isn’t sure. Some time. Some era. 

The same two people. 

Chan has been a deity for a long time. Ever since the very _concept_ of time was created, of course. In fact, he would say that he himself is the one who created the universe, but then he would also get in trouble with the people who _actually_ made the universe so he doesn’t say that. Bang Chan has been a very good deity, mind you. He’s taken many forms over the years, he has many different faces and figures and whatnot. He’s been a fox, he’s been an elephant, he’s been every single animal the worlds have to offer. From the ones inside literature to the worlds that are only brought to life because of the words of the people, Bang Chan is in all of them. 

From the worlds in literature to the worlds created by drifting nomads of the early ages of humanity to even the scribbled stories written by crayon by little five year olds. Chan has been in all of them. (And Changbin too, _yes_ , Changbin he didn’t forget you). 

And so is Changbin, of course. Chan likes to tease Changbin about it sometimes, poking his little cheek and watching the younger get increasingly flustered. It’s always more fun when Changbin’s around, isn’t it? (Yes, it is). 

In any case, Chan has been there. He’s seen many things. But these two, Seungmin and Minho, are a pair unlike the rest. The soulmate version of r/notlikeothergirls. r/notlikeothercouples , if you will. Changbin does not agree. Chan does not care. 

Anyways. 

_Ahem_. 

In this universe, in this wonderful, _wonderful_ universe created by beings no one has seen, there are soulmates. Pairs that have been bound together for eternity. For life and beyond, because souls do not wither, no no. They continue to exist even if their containers crumple to the ground and decompose, wasting away. The difference between souls and bodies is what drives the entire system. 

Seungmin and Minho. 

An interesting pair. 

\---

It’s the 1970s. Kim Seungmin is in trouble. In very very _very_ big trouble. Why, you ask? Because he and his husband are going to die. Very, very soon. In about...sixty seconds? More or less? Probably less. And now why are they going to die? Because the both of them, as you must know by now, are excruciatingly _gay_. (Goodness knows how they managed to bribe a priest into getting them married, dear god.) In any case, Seungmin doesn’t feel like dying, not today, especially not because some homophobic man decided to set his wild animals on them and is riding a bull into the forest they hide in, wand out and pointing avada kedevra’s at them every second he can. 

Seungmin just wanted to have a nice, peaceful Saturday. Why did this happen to him? Did he not deserve to be loved, just like every other man? Every other woman? 

They hide in a cave, Minho (that’s his husband, you see, Seungmin is very much in love with him) uttering curses under his breath. Curses. Words. A mix of magic and madness. They enter the cave, and suddenly everything goes pitch black. Seungmin’s breath hitches and he curls a hand around Minho’s jacket, feeling the older man shiver in time with him. It’s so _cold_. So cold. Seungmin wants to just lie here and go to sleep so that he doesn’t have to feel this pain anymore.

It’s so cold. 

Minho seems to sense his thoughts, because he reaches over and cradles Seungmin’s face in his tiny hands. “Seungminnie, baby, be strong for me, okay? Please be strong for me, I promise we’ll make it out somehow.” Seungmin exhales shakily, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. They never fall. 

The rain is pouring outside, tiny bullets of water hitting the ground so hard Seungmin swears he can see the dirt shake under the torrents. Minho is still muttering words under his breath, hands clasped together and head down, lips saying the same things over and over again. Seungmin doesn’t know what’s happening, but he trusts Minho, so he moves as close as he can and wraps an arm around him, pressing a gentle kiss to the shell of Minho’s ear. He can feel Minho’s body relax just a little bit more, and warmth blooms in his heart. They’ll get out of this place. They’ll be alright. They’ll go somewhere where no one can hurt them and they can live to an old age, enjoying each other’s comforting company until the end of time.

Seungmin wants that. So badly. So very badly. At this point, it’s the only thing keeping him going. Seungmin turns to press another kiss to Minho’s hair, but before his lips touch the softness, there’s a flash of light and everything goes black. 

The last thing Seungmin sees is a man, dressed in all black, with pale skin and even paler eyes and a dark red string wrapping around his wrist. The man smiles at them, dimples shining in the darkness. He walks forward and places a careful kiss on both Seungmin and Minho’s heads, whispering a soft little “you’ll see him in your dreams now, children” before turning away curtly, cloak billowing out after him. Seungmin feels his wand fall out of his hand, clattering to the ground. 

And then he sleeps. 

But he doesn’t dream. 

This chapter of their story ends on a sad note.

\---

Somewhere in the depths of the universe, Bang Chan sits on his neon pink furry bean bag, sipping his coffee lightly. Somewhere in the depths of the universe, Seo Changbin sits next to Bang Chan in his neon orange furry bean bag (they have to match, you see), sipping _his_ coffee. 

“How long do you think until they get reincarnated?” Changbin asks, peering over Chan’s shoulder to look at the book he holds in his hands. (It’s golden, a tacky golden spray paint that Changbin had stolen from someone. He had insisted that the book needed some color after a millennia of being black. There was an Effort ™. 

Chan shrugs, turning the page. The next one is blank. And so is the next. And the next. And the next. And the next, until Chan grows tired and slams the book shut. Changbin startles, jumping up from his orange beanbag and nearly spilling his Americano all over himself. Chan throws a glare at him out of the corner of his eye, and Changbin apologizes softly. 

“It should be a while until they’re reincarnated.” Chan says, thumbing down the spine of the book. Already, the spray paint is chipping off, flaking as Chan’s thumb runs across the surface. Golden specks fall to the floor at their feet, dirtying the bright white furry rug. Why is everything in their house so... _furry_. 

Changbin frowns. This is a new realization. “Chan hyung, are we furries?”

Chan chokes, swallowing his coffee quickly and then sputtering at the very…. _forward_ question. Changbin leaps to his feet quickly, pounding Chan’s back. Chan shrugs him off after a few seconds, wincing. “One, Changbin please control your strength for heaven’s sake. And two…..” Chan looks around the room, ears getting redder and redder as he takes note of just _how many_ furry items there are. Oh no. 

Chan turns to look at Changbin, eyes wide and skin much paler than usual. “Changbin...I think we _are_.”

Changbin drops his coffee on the floor. 

Uh oh. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hoping that this isnt that bad lolol oh also the chapters get Much Longer from here on out, this was just the introduction :D 
> 
> [(playlist that i listen to while writing this)](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/00aMuKyIJkmsY3BvSWxIQ4)
> 
> drop a comment !!! i love talking to yall hehe <33 stay safe !


	2. a guide through the life of lee minho and kim seungmin  (hint: they want to jump off a cliff)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lee Minho wants to choke someone. And not in the sexy way. 
> 
> Kim Seungmin wants to strangle Yang Jeongin with the flowers he keeps sending him.
> 
> They both want to jump off a cliff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: mentions of choking
> 
> have fun!

Lee Minho wants to choke someone. And  _ not _ in the sexy way. The kind of choking one only does when they are a special type of annoyed, that one feeling you get when your little brother steals the last pizza slice and all you want now is your hands around his neck for the sweet sweet  _ revenge _ . 

Yes. That's how Minho feels right now. Absolutely snazzy, if you ask him. Except you  _ aren't  _ asking him because Minho will say that he is going snazzy when he is  _ not _ doing snazzy and he's actually doing unsnazzy and  _ wow  _ that's a lot of snazzies. 

See children, this is what happens when you get a total of eight hours of sleep (the recommended amount for one night) over the course of an entire week (about seven days). You start to feel unsnazzy and you slowly,  _ slowly _ , descend into complete and utter madness while fantasising about having your hands around someone’s neck. (In the unsexy way). 

Which brings us to the fact that Lee Minho is  _ not _ okay. Which is why he wants to wrap his hands (his tiny tiny hands) around someone's neck and  _ squeeze _ . He wants to scream. But he  _ can’t _ , because he’s currently in line to get his office and then catch Hyunjin’s car so they can both go to work,  _ peacefully _ . 

And now, the question you all may be asking inside your pretty little heads right now:  _ why _ is Lee Minho wanting to choke someone in the most unsexy way possible? Well. 

Minho sighs, smiling thinly at the employee and taking the cup, sipping it angrily as he walks outside. Hyunjin’s already waiting for him, long blonde hair tied up into a ponytail at the base of his neck, leaning against his shiny black car. His hands are in his pockets, lean body encompassed by the casual suit he wears. And, for some reason, he’s smirking. It makes Minho’s blood boil. 

Minho shoves Hyunjin’s coffee into his hands, glaring. He slips into the passenger seat and patiently waits for Hyunjin to get his ass moving and start  _ driving _ so they won’t be late. 

“Hyunjin hurry the fuck up, I’m not in the mood for games right now.” Minho snaps, fingers tapping his gold watch impatiently. (It’s a Rolex. Felix likes to tell him that it’s tacky and far too expensive, but Minho needs to show off, it’s the only thing that brings him any semblance of joy.) And besides, it’s always fun to see the eyes of the men who he makes deals with widen at the sign of it, Minho sitting at the head of the chair with his legs spread apart ( _ manspreading _ , Hyunjin (and Felix) like to say. Minho calls it  _ establishing dominance _ .)

Hyunjin snorts from his place in the driver's seat. Minho glares at him. Or, well,  _ tries _ to glare at him. His anger is slowly ebbing away with every sip of his coffee he takes. Oh, the magical wondrous wonders of caffeine. Felix likes to tell Minho that Minho’ll get a caffeine addiction one day. 

Minho hopes so. 

(That was a joke, for legal reasons. Mayhaps the legal reason is so that Felix doesn’t get arrested for homiecide (pun intended). In any case, Lee Minho does not wish to have a caffeine addiction, for the sole reason that Felix and Hyunjin don’t get arrested for murder.)

_ Quite _ a pity. 

“Why are you in such a bad mood today, hyung?” Hyunjin asks, eyes narrowing as he curses out the car in front of them. “Fucking pieces of shit don’t know how to drive.” He grumbles, looking over at Minho expectantly. 

Minho sighs, shaking his cup around lightly, watching the liquid swirl around. It’s transfixing. Dangerous. Alluring. 

“Nightmare.” is all he says, eyes trained on his cup. Hyunjin nods in understanding, reaching over and patting Minho’s thigh lightly before the older can wave him away. Minho huffs, cheeks puffing out slightly, leaning back into his seat so he can lean his head against the window, watching the buildings zoom by. It all blurs out into a mess of colors eventually, and Minho sighs. Hyunjin glances at him. Minho ignores it. 

He doesn’t want to talk about it. He never does.

\---

Minho walks through the doors of his company, the rising sun behind him pouring light on the building. It always feels so satisfactory when people part to make way for him, bow to him as he passes, throw away everything, just for  _ them _ . 

But then again, it’s not really  _ him _ , now is it? It’s the money that he gives them, they don’t respect him, the CEO, no. They respect the amount of money he has and the amount of money he can give them. They’re scared of the power he holds over them. They’re jealous. Minho can see it in their eyes. 

His smile turns wry, and Hyunjin links pinkies with him A warning. Minho scoffs and furrows his brows, stalking into his office and sitting down roughly, elbows on his desk and head in his hands. Now is not the time to be contemplating the state of mind of his employees, especially not when they have a new group debuting soon. 

You see, Lee Minho is the CEO of LINO Entertainment, the number one entertainment company in the entire country of South Korea.

One thing to take note of is that this is a lie. 

Another thing to take note of is KMS Entertainment, LINO Ent.’s number one competitor. In the eyes of the media, they are tied. In Minho’s eyes, however, well. There is nothing to say. Nothing to say even though Kim Seungmin goes to work the same time he does, nothing to say even though Lee Minho and Kim Seungmin’s secretaries are soulmates and  _ highly _ in love with one another. So in love, in fact, that Minho wishes to defenestrate them every single time they are within six feet of one another. They’re  _ that _ bad, it’s absolutely hideous for the sole reason that they are just exaggeratingly cringey and not because Minho wants that  _ so bad _ . 

Well. Minho wants many things. He rarely gets any of them, and that’s that. Hyunjin likes to tell him he shouldn’t be this sad all the time. Minho likes to shove tissue paper into Hyunjin’s mouth.

Felix likes to write them into his stories. They’re often the two pretty best friends. Minho grimaces. Now he’s been reminded of that TikTok.  _ Wonderful _ . Hyunjin looks at him strangely, pretty features contorting into still pretty features, just confused now. Prettily confused. Sometimes Minho watches Han Jisung stare at Hyunjin for the fun of it, and to feed the ever growing void in his heart. That sounds so  _ depressing _ . (Maybe because it is. Lee Minho is depressing. Deal with it.) But can you blame him? Jisung and Hyunjin feel so much for each other that it shows on their faces, an uncontrollable type of thing. 

(And maybe that’s love. Feelings so strong for another person that you can’t hide them, no matter how hard you try.)

Hyunjin walks over and waves a hand in front of Minho’s face, snapping him out of his reverie. Minho swats it away, shaking himself out of...whatever that was. In any case. Minho sighs. “What do I have for today?” 

Hyunjin places a file in front of him, a planner page on the front. Times are highlighted and circled, with little notes scrawled in the corner whenever it’s needed. Hyunjin can be a handful, sometimes, but Minho loves him because at the end of the day, he is the most capable secretary Minho’s ever had. And Minho goes through secretaries like it’s a hobby, most usually giving up after a month. It all sounds so cliche, but maybe it’s just Minho’s personality. 

Yeah, it’s definitely just his personality. Love that for him. 

“You have a few meetings today, people want to talk about Itzy’s debut. Fans aren’t happy with Chaeryoung’s looks for some reason. They’re saying she’s too...fat?” Even Hyunjin sounds disgusted with it. Minho scowls. He’s always hated the public. 

“And what’s the meeting for?” He asks, tapping his fingers on the table. His fingers are adorned with multiple rings, glinting in the light from the window behind him. Hyunjin sighs, tracing a design in the table. He doesn’t sound like he wants to say what he’s saying. Minho doesn’t blame him. 

“Everyone’s concerned for her image. They’re considering dropping her out of the lineup and adding in another trainee instead.”

Minho stands up, slamming his hands on the table abruptly. Hyunjin winces, jumping back and holding his files to his chest protectively. Minho feels slightly bad for scaring him. 

“Bullshit.”  
Hyunjin looks up at him, eyes wide and wobbly. “What?” Minho grabs his coat, striding out of the room and beckoning Hyunjin to follow him. 

“I said that’s bullshit. We aren’t taking Chaeryoung out of the lineup. She’s beautiful, and even if she weren’t, it shouldn’t matter as long as she can sing and dance properly.” Minho’s hands curl into fists and he marches into the meeting room, eyes blazing with quiet anger. Hyunjin pads after him softly, apologizing to people who have been startled. Minho sits himself at the head of the table, glaring at the others on the table. Hyunjin sighs to himself and seats himself in the chairest nearest Minho, head lowered and smirk on his lips. He holds his files closely to his chest, long fingers tapping out a rhythm on the paper. 

And so it begins. 

“Listen.” Minho says, eyes narrowing at the older men and women in the room. It’s always  _ them _ for some reason, always the same people of the same age range of the same class in society. Always the bored rich adults who have absolutely nothing more to do with their life. Minho despises them. They’re despicable. 

“Lee Chaeryeoung is a member of Itzy. Their debut is next month. This is final. And  _ non-negotiable _ .” Minho seethes, fists curling and uncurling on the table but voice steady. Years of practice have done him well. The first boomer looks concerned. Minho snorts to himself. 

“Sir, I am...concerned. Fans may not accept her into the group.” Bingo. Minho knows,  _ everyone _ knows that the man is not concerned at all about the well being of their girls. He’s concerned about the well being of his  _ money _ , however. Yes yes. His money, his paycheck, his bank account. Minho holds so much distaste for them it isn’t even funny at this point. 

Minho shrugs, shoulders easing and an easy smirk appearing on his face. “Let them not accept.” He says, enjoying the way everyone’s eyes widen in shock. They act as if he doesn’t say this  _ every single time _ they have this kind of meeting. As if Minho would ever even entertain the idea of kicking someone out of a soon to debut look simply for their looks. For their face. It’s their own fault for even thinking that Minho would do such a thing when he has never done so in the past. 

“S-Sir, what do you mean?” Boomer 2 asks.

“I  _ mean _ , that some fans will not accept her yes, but her talent will eventually win them over. We are one of the top two entertainment companies in South Korea. They will learn to accept her, and if they don't, well then…’ Minho smiles. “Itzy doesn’t need them as fans.” And with that, he ends. 

There’s nothing more to say. 

It still makes him sick, having to say “top two” instead of “top”. They aren’t number one. Fucking Kim Seungmin.

\---

Kim Seungmin wants to strangle Yang Jeongin with the flowers he keeps sending him. It was cute at first, Jeongin would send him their extra clippings just because they were extra and thought Seungmin needed a little pop every now and then. 

But now. 

_ Now _ . 

Now there are flowers being delivered to his office  _ daily _ , and Jeongin still brings him extra clippings every now and then. It wouldn’t be much of a problem usually, because flowers make Seungmin fluttery and happy and giggly and all those jittery little emotions you feel inside of you. 

It wouldn’t be a problem if not for the fact that Kim Seungmin is Gay. Very Gay. He wants… a Boyfriend. Badly. Very Badly. So badly, in fact, that he has come to blame Jeongin’s stupid,  _ stupid _ flowers for the reason why he hasn’t gotten a boyfriend yet. Yes, because all of the men that he knows probably think that he has a boyfriend. A boyfriend by the name of Yang Jeongin, because the fucker won’t stop giving him flowers! And it would have been cute if the flowers menat “i love you” or “have a great day” but  _ no. _ Of course not. When has Jeongin ever done anything like that?

The stupid flower bouquets mean “fuck you”. In flower language. Kim Seungmin is literally going to go to Jeongin’s flower shop and put his precious little flower pots into the nearest dumpster just to see the devastated look on the younger’s face. (And then buy him new pots because Seungmin isn’t  _ heartless _ , he’s just mildly annoyed.)

It’s 7am. Seungmin is tired. He had gotten, what, one hour? two hours? of sleep yesterday. And those two hours were filled with nightmares, an eerie voice singing the same song over and over again, hauntingly beautiful. He holds a faceless man in his arms, everything too blurry and clear at the same time. He woke up at 4am with sweat pouring down his face and hands shaking. He hadn’t bothered going back to sleep after that, deciding to be productive instead and finish some paperwork he had sitting in his work pile. 

If his signatures are a little wobbly, no one mentions it. 

It’s 7am. Seungmin is tired. He wants to go home. He doesn’t want to be here, the brisk air clipping at his suit jacket while Lee Minho from LINO Entertainment does the same exact thing about sixty feet away. Seungmin risks a glance at Minho. He smirks. Minho looks exhausted. It gives the petty side of Seungmin satisfaction. 

But he still can’t help but wonder  _ why _ Minho’s so tired. 

Scoffing, Seungmin looks away. He doesn’t notice the burning glare aimed at the back of his head. 

Jisung scurries next to him, mouth working away at an impressive speed, hand gestures threatening to slap Seungmin in the face. Meetings, dates, lunch, paperwork, complaints from the media. Seungmin tries to listen, but his mind is halfway away, buried into the clouds. He can’t stop thinking about the nightmares. The song. Everything is so confusing. 

They enter his office. Seungmin plops down heavily, fists clenching into the arm rests of the large brown leather chair, there for intimidation purposes only.

Jisung bends to wave a hand in front of Seungmin’s face. He looks concerned. Seungmin hates it. “Seungmin? Seungmin are you good? You look like you haven’t slept a wink.”  
Jisung isn’t wrong. 

Seungmin shrugs, slapping Jisung’s hand away. “I slept for two hours. That has to count for something.” Jisung frowns, turning Seungmin’s chair swiftly so that Seungmin faces him. Seungmin startles, a yelp being let out of him at the sudden movement. He opens his mouth to say something, but before he can, Jisung cups his cheeks, eyes blown wide with worry. 

“Min, you need to sleep more. Was it the nightmares again?” Seungmin nods half heartedly. He doesn’t want to talk about it. Luckily, Jisung can read him like he’s a piece of paper, so he doesn’t push it. Instead, he gets to work immediately. 

Seungmin appreciates him for that. He makes a note to buy Jisung cheesecake late, a thank you for all his hard work. 

The day goes by smoothly. Wake up. Go to work. Deal with people. Go home. Rinse and repeat. 

\---

In his entire 26 years of life, Kim Seungmin has never once been able to figure out the enigma that is Hwang Hyunjin. Hyunjin is Minho’s secretary, his right hand man. He’s also soulmates with Jisung,  _ Seungmin’s _ secretary. They are both ridiculously in love with each other. 

Every day, after work, Hyunjin comes to their office to pick up Jisung. Then he kisses him in front of everyone, toeing the fine line between “they’re young, let them be” and “get these horny fucks out of my office”. Very fine line. (Seungmin doesn’t do anything about it because it makes Jisung happy, and Seungmin is far too platonically whipped for Jisung to take Hyunjin away from him.)

Sometimes Minho comes too, Hyunjin dragging him excitedly to their building. Seungmin doesn’t stick around to wave them goodbye on those days, stalking right back into the room at the merest sight of Minho. Seungmin doesn’t want to see him. Something about Lee Minho rubs him the wrong way.

It’s probably just because they’re competing for the spot of the number one entertainment company in the industry. (It’s not. Seungmin doesn’t know how to explain it. He just knows that there is something about Minho that is so undeniably enticing, drawing him in the more he looks. Seungmin doesn’t want to be enticed. He doesn’t want anything to do with Minho. Absolutely nothing. And so he runs.)

Jisung likes to tell him it isn’t healthy to be running away from his problems. Seungmin likes to lock Jisung in cupboards until Jisung apologizes and takes everything back. 

And besides, Seungmin’s only running from one problem. Only running from Lee Minho. (But Lee Minho comes with a plethora of other problems. Seungmin doesn’t-doesn’t even  _ know _ him, why is he thinking so hard about this. 

He pushes it away in favor of whirling away to his office when he sees Minho walking towards them with a scowl on his face. 

Minho reminds Seungmin of the nightmares that haunt him, and Seungmin would much rather keep those at night and night only. 

The nightmares don’t come that night, and yet, for some reason, Seungmin still can’t sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU FOR ALL THE LOVELY COMMENTS IN THE LAST CHAPTER IVE NEVER GOTTEN SO MANY ON THE FIRST CHAPTER AND IT MADE ME SO HAPPY ILY ALL SCREAMS
> 
> this entire thing was written yesterday and today while listening to positions by ariana grande on loop. it's still on loop. i'm not planning to stop anytime soon.
> 
> if i don't get out a chapter by christmas then merry christmas everyone!! happy holidays, i hope you rest well and take breaks because you deserve it ! :D <3
> 
> OH YEAH ALSO I CHANGED MY USER I USED TO BE a_world_full_of_wisdom BUT IM NOT NOW IT WAS TOO TIRING TO TYPE OUT SO HI kittykais iS HERE
> 
> stay safe 
> 
> 121920


	3. a basic understanding of nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minho opens his eyes. It’s so dark. He closes them. Opens them again. It’s still dark. What is happening. Where is he. This place doesn’t look familiar at all. Minho looks down at his hands. They’re covered in...flour? Why are they covered in flour? Where is he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was pretty rushed and my writings kinda stiff but here you go!!!
> 
> it's still christmas eve over here, but merry christmas to anyone who celebrates it!!! happy holidays, i hope everyone has a wonderful day <33
> 
> (THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE LOVELY COMMENTS LAST CHAPTER, THEY MADE MY DAY ILYSM <3333)

Minho hates the nightmares. With a passion. In fact, they might be the only thing he’s passionate about. That and shoving tissue paper in Hyunjin’s mouth. And threatening to put Hyunjin in the air fryer. Poor Hyunjin, he doesn’t deserve this pain (he does). (That was a joke for the sole reason that Felix will  _ murder _ Minho if he even dared to express the mere thought that he actually wanted to put Hwang Hyunjin in the air fryer.)

But yes. The nightmares. 

They’re hauntingly beautiful. Beautiful because he views them through rose colored glasses, each nightmare nightmarishly clear and shrouded in red. Red like blood. Or red like roses. 

And because of the voices, the song, the melody, the lyrics. In every nightmare, Minho hears a strikingly familiar voice (but he can’t place where it’s from) singing the same song. The voice sounds so familiar but he can’t place where exactly it’s from. The answer is on the tip of his tongue, a hair’s breadth away. He’s so close but so far at the same time, itching to find the truth. 

There’s always someone else in his nightmares. The same person too, from the look of the lean legs and the tiny waist and the same large hands. It’s the same person in every nightmare. His soulmate, most likely. That Minho has come to terms with. That him and his soulmate have had rough past lives. 

From fighting in wars to running away from deranged old homophobic men to battling the plague. They’ve done it all, it seems. 

But...this isn’t normal. It isn’t normal to dream of your past lives. It isn’t normal to dream of your soulmate. It’s not normal to have reoccurring nightmares with the same song playing in them. It’s not normal to be losing hours upon hours of sleep just because of nightmares. 

Dear god, Minho needs help. 

\---

Minho wakes up in cold sweat, breathing heavily. His pupils are blown wide with fear, and he presses a hand to his heart, feeling the way it beats under his fingers. He closes his eyes but opens them quickly when images start to flash, gruesome and nauseating. He hates this. He hates it, hates it,  _ hates _ it. He doesn’t  _ want _ to have nightmares, doesn’t want to wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to go to sleep for the rest of the night, looking over his shoulder every ten seconds because of his paranoia. 

He just wants to be normal? Is that too much to ask? (Yes.)

  
  


_ Minho opens his eyes. It’s so dark. He closes them. Opens them again. It’s still dark. What is happening. Where is he. This place doesn’t look familiar at all. Minho looks down at his hands. They’re covered in...flour? Why are they covered in flour? Where is he? _

_ Oh.  _

_ Oh, this is another nightmare. Minho shivers, biting his lips. It’s so cold. The nightmares are always cold. They’re freezing, burning him from the inside out until all he can see and feel is his soulmate, hear only the melody of the song.  _

_ Someone’s walking towards him. Minho turns around swiftly.  _

_ “Minho!” A voice...a familiar voice. Minho gasps, looking up quickly just to meet eyes with Lee Felix, smiling brightly. Lee Felix. Minho smiles. He’s his best friend in this universe too, it seems. The dream warms up slightly, no more a freezing, freezing cold. Felix always seems to make things better.  _

_ “Felix?” Minho asks. His voice sounds so disembodied. His mouth moves without him being able to control it, a different being controlling his movements and words, living his life for him. A different being or-no. No. A different him. A different Lee Minho in a different universe, with a completely different life but the same friends.  _

_ But it still sounds like him. Minho but a different Minho from a different time, a different world. Felix nods and pulls Minho into the backroom of the bakery, chattering excitedly. Outside, there is a sign that reads “Strawberry Street”. Where is he? It doesn’t look like Earth. Minho can feel the faint tendrils of magic pulling at him, surrounding him. It makes his skin tingle, and Minho wonders if life has always felt like this, sluggish and exhilarating at the same time. It’s a completely different experience than he’s used to. It’s giving him whiplash.  _

_ Felix nods excitedly at him, bounding forward until he’s right in front of Minho, only a couple inches of distance between them. Minho blinks. “I’m so proud of you, hyung!” Felix squeals, hugging Minho tightly. Minho grimaces and pats him on the back lightly. Proud? Proud of him for what?  _

_ “For what?”  _

_ Felix rolls his eyes, scrutinizing him. Minho flushes under his piercing gaze. Can Felix see through him? Can he tell that the Minho he’s talking to right now isn’t the Minho he knows in this lifetime? Felix’s eyes soften. No. No he can’t. “For being the best bakery in Magnolia, of course.” Felix says, grinning brightly.  _

_ Ah. So they’re somewhere called Magnolia. The city’s name is pretty, but Minho still isn’t sure where he is. He highly doubts they’re on Earth right now.  _

_ In...a bakery. He works at a bakery. Supposedly the best bakery in town. Suddenly, Minho can’t smell anything. His eyes widen. The song hasn’t started to play yet.  _

_ The bell tinkles and in walks...Kim Seungmin? Minho’s eyes widen and his hands start to shake. What is Seungmin doing here? Why is he here, what is happening, why does Felix not look the slightest bit surprised and what is going on.  _

_ Someone turns the speakers on.  _

_ The song starts playing.  _

_ Kim Seungmin starts to sing.  _

_ And suddenly, everything goes black.  _

Minho wakes up with a start. He doesn’t remember a single thing afterwards, the dream a hazy memory, slipped in between the tides of his mind. It’s been pushed away into a little tiny corner of his subconsciousness. It will not be touched by anyone or anything until the time comes. (He will make sure of that). 

Minho runs a hand through his hair. It’s slightly damp and his clothes are sticking to his skin uncomfortably. Minho sighs and gets out of bed, accepting that he won’t be sleeping again tonight. Minho strips off his clothes and enters the shower, letting the hot water wash over him. Today, for some reason, he can’t recollect the dream. 

Minho grabs a bottle and starts to wash his hair. It smells different than usual. Minho frowns. The soap isn’t right today. He turns the bottle to read the label and realizes that he’s put body wash in his hair with a sinking feeling in his chest. Today is just  _ not _ his day, now is it? (Or, well,  _ night _ , but still.) 

Minho sighs and takes to washing all of the body wash out of his hair. (He tries to wash the faint feelings left behind by the dream away too. It doesn’t work as well as he’d hoped.)

Ten minutes later, Minho’s laying spread eagle on his bed, petting his cat. Doongie looks at him with an exasperated expression on her face, eyes narrowed as she noses at his collarbones. Minho chuckles dryly, running a hand through her fur as she curls up to him, licking his skin softly. 

Minho doesn’t fall asleep that night, but he comes close. 

\---

Somewhere in a corner of the universe, Bang Chan is screaming. Seo Changbin is  _ also _ screaming, but he’s screaming because Changbin’s being chased by a feral deity with a very heavy book in his hand (it’s the 2min soulmate book, littering golden specks all over the floor.) 

Changbin squeals and turns into a rabbit, hiding under the couch. Chan stops chasing him and huffs, throwing the book on his pink beanbag chair, kneeling down to look at Changbin. Changbin the bunny doesn’t come out from under the couch no matter how many times he’s prompted, nose quivering and eyes welling up with tears. 

Chan’s eyes widen and he brings Changbin out from under the couch carefully, cradling him to his chest. “I’m sorry Binnie, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Chan whispers, burying his head into Changbin’s pale fur. Changbin sniffles and headbutts Chan’s chest softly, making Chan laugh. 

He sits down in his chair, petting Changbin carefully. He doesn’t seem to want to turn back into a human anytime soon. Chan doesn’t blame him. Being a bunny is so much easier. 

“We messed up, Binnie.” Chan muses. Chungha is going to _murder_ him when she finds out they accidently showed Lee Minho his soulmate’s face. (Luckily, Minho doesn’t remember anything, but it was a very close call that Chan never wants to make the mistake of doing again.)  
Changbin nods, sniffling in agreement. 

“ _ But _ !” Chan exclaims. “Luckily, we had enough foresight to make Minho forget everything, so it’s alright. Right Binnie?”

Changbin jumps off of Chan’s lap, turning into a human again. “Yes.” He says, nodding sagely as he clambers back into Chan’s chest. 

Chan leans back into the chair with a quiet  _ oof _ , hands quickly going to Changbin’s shoulders to brace himself. 

“I love you.” 

Changbin smiles. “I love you too.” 

  
  


Later, Chungha beats their asses for nearly ruining their entire operation. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promise i'll give more plot but we have to get through the ~introductions~ first, do we not? AND DO NOT WORRY ILL STOP MAKING 2MIN SUFFER. i mean they'll suffer more BUT I PROMISE MORE FLUFF NEXT CHAPTER SO BEAR WITH ME FOR NOW!!! 
> 
> ((whoever guesses which universe they're in gets a cookie from me)) ((hint: its an anime))
> 
> drop a comment!!! they motivate me lots :D stay safe <3
> 
> 122420


	4. lee minho’s sleep schedule is Fucked Up ™

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hyunjin.” Minho says suddenly.“Hyunjin, do you think Kim Seungmin looks like a puppy?” 
> 
> Hyunjin nearly crashes them into the car in front of him. 
> 
> Asshole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi lol sorry i was gone for nine days but im here now! and the breaks between chapters will only get longer, btw because school's starting again tmrw and ;-; cries
> 
> also happy new year everyone!!!! 2021 is finally here woohoo !
> 
> this is kind of a mess because i was a mess while writing it but have fun !

Fast forward a week, and Minho is tired. Very tired. So tired that he kind of wants to keel over and sleep on the floor. Not that he’s going to do that. It’s just a thought. Even though the floor is despicably dirty, Minho feels like the pain would drag him into sleep sooner than his bed does. Or maybe he’s just _that_ tired. It could be any one of those. 

Sleep is hard for Minho. Even on a good day, he usually can’t get more than six hours. The required amount for someone his age is eight, so it’s really not _that_ bad, except it is. It’s bad because _Minho’s_ average is five hours of sleep, which is bad. 

Six hours is the _maximum_ amount of sleep he’s been able to get ever since he turned twenty years old. Apparently life decided to slap him in the back and push him forward into the dark hole that is insomnia and sleep deprivation two decades in. Now, at the grandmotherly age of 28, he sincerely wants to slap life back, because it deserves it.

In any case, his sleep schedule has never been _good_ by any means. But now, the nightmares take over his mind every night, leaving Minho to thrash in it’s cold clutches. He hasn’t been able to sleep more than four hours a day ever since that dream. The one he can’t remember, no matter how much he wracks his brain for an answer. 

Minho grabs the cup of coffee sluggishly, smiling thinly at the cashier, who smiles back with a worried look on their face. Minho doesn’t blame them. He probably looks like death that got run over by a cheap vacuum cleaner twice within the same minute. Not good. Not good at all. His eyes are bloodshot, eye bags set deep into his eyes under all of his makeup. 

Minho walks outside, squinting at the bright light of the sun. It’s far too bright to match Minho’s gloomy mood. Right now, the sky should be gray, dark clouds covering up the sun and making the sky positively miserable. Rain threatening to fall on the innocent people below heavy clouds. But no, today seems to be a wonderfully _bright_ day. The sun is out, the sky is blue, and a random boy on a skateboard crashes into Minho, making the older man spill his precious coffee all over his shirt. 

The boy screams and falls off his skateboard onto the ground. Minho is staring blankly at his hand, the one now covered by hot coffee. And then he looks at his ridiculously expensive silk shirt, the one that now has a large brown stain all over the front of it. 

Minho is _not_ having a good day today. And it hasn’t even started. Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. The boy looks up at him with wide, scared eyes. Minho blinks at him and grimaces. “Watch where you’re going next time.” He says, and briskly turns away to where Hyunjin stands, gaping at the scene that’s unfolded in front of him.

Belatedly, Minho hears the boy apologizing profusely. Somehow, that makes him feel a tiny bit better. 

Minho sighs and hands Hyunjin his coffee. “Let’s go, Hyunjin.” Hyunjin frowns and tries to give Minho the coffee back muttering something about how Minho needs it more than him because he doesn’t look well today or something, but Minho waves him off and tells him he’s fine. Because Minho _is_ fine. He’s just tired. (Everyone knows that isn’t true.)

So Hyunjin sighs and grasps the coffee cup, walking over to the driver’s side of the car and sitting down primly in his seat. Minho doesn’t miss the concerned look that gets shot his way, but to be frank, he can’t bring himself to do anything about them. 

There’s only a quarter cup left of coffee in his cup, the other three quarters currently spilled down the front of his shirt. Which is sticking to his torso, by the way. It’s very uncomfortable. 10/10 would _not_ recommend. It’s barely anything, only a couple sips to get him through until his lunch break. Oh well. There’s nothing Minho can do about that. He’ll have to make do, and hope he can survive the day without his daily morning coffee. Already, he can feel his eyes dropping, coffee cup currently empty and finished. 

Hyunjin looks over in concern. He seems to be doing that quite often lately, but Minho can’t blame him. If he were in his position, he’d be quite concerned too. Minho concerns _himself_ , actually. It’s a process. One that isn’t healthy, but a process nonetheless. 

“Hyung, are you sure you don’t want to skip work today?” 

Minho scoffs. Hyunjin, have I ever skipped work even once in my entire life?” Hyunjin dutifully shakes his head no. _Exactly_. “Then what makes you think I’ll skip work today?” 

It’s a rhetorical question, but Hyunjin answers it anyway. Brat. 

“Because you’re more tired than I’ve ever seen you in my entire life? And don’t even try to tell me that I’m wrong, hyung, because I’m not.” Minho snorts. 

“You’re wrong.” (He really isn’t). 

Hyunjin grits his teeth in annoyance and furrows his brows. He’s so easy to rile up, so easy to make fun of. Like a puppy. Immediately, Kim Seungmin’s face pops up into his brain. Minho frowns and shakes the thought away. Seungmin looks like a puppy. Okay, that’s true. The man has distinct puppy-like features. Cute nose, wait. Wait. _Wait_ . Where did cute come from? Minho frowns at himself. Ever since that night, Minho keeps thinking about his rival ceo. It’s not good for his health. Kim Seungmin is not cute. He is a breay. Not a puppy. Minho changes his mind. Seungmin isn’t a puppy, because puppies are cute, and Seungmin is _not_. Gosh, how tired is Minho that he’s thinking such things like this? He really needs to get more sleep. 

“Hyunjin.” Minho says suddenly. Hyunjin glances at him briefly to show his acknowledgement. “Hyunjin, do you think Kim Seungmin looks like a puppy?” 

Hyunjin nearly crashes them into the car in front of him. 

Asshole. 

“What?!” He shrieks, whipping his head around to look at Minho once he’s got a hold on the steering wheel and they both are relatively calm. Minho breathes heavily, hand on his chest. Ew. His shirt is still sticky. 

“Hey, Hwang Hyunjin, did I really say something that shocking?” Minho barks, wiping his hands with a tissue. “Or do you just hate me that much, hmm? Enough that you want to kill me?” The thought is entertaining to him. Hwang Hyunjin, trying to _kill_ Lee Minho? Imagine that. (The thought reminds Minho of the time he caught Hyunjin in the kitchen, holding a knife as far as he could away from him, standing over a bunch of carrots with Felix desperately trying to explain cooking to him. Yeah, Hyunjin would never be able to kill Minho. He can sleep peacefully now, knowing that the number one Minho anti is harmless.) 

Hyunjin glares at him. “Hyung, even if I _wanted_ to kill you, I wouldn’t attempt it with my beautiful self in the car. My bone structure is far too perfect for it to be lying six feet under the ground.” 

Minho sighs. His head feels like it got a hundred pounds heavier. Must be the near death incident. That would explain everything. (It really wouldn’t , but we can let Minho hope.) “I wish your stupidly perfect bone structure was six feet under the ground.” Minho mutters. Hyunjin makes an affronted sound from next to him, and avoids slamming the car into a pole. Minho curses under his breath and starts to write his will. 

You can never be too prepared. 

Hyunjin seems to remember the entire reason why he nearly murdered them both in cold blood about five minutes after the incident happened, when _Minho_ remembers and asks him to answer his question. 

Hyunjin sighs and turns at an intersection. No near death incidents occur. Peace. “Does Kim Seungmin look like a puppy? Well. Yes. Yes, he does. Kim Seungmin looks like an adorable puppy.” He turns to Minho and wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. Does that turn you on, hyung?” 

Minho splutters, turning red. “ _Of course_ it doesn’t turn me on, Hyunjin, why would it turn me on?” 

Hyunjin shrugs. “You might have a puppy kink, who knows.”

Minho looks at him. Has Jisung finally absorbed Hyunjin’s brain cells? Is his secretary braincell-less? Has he been turned into a zombie of sorts so that he’s brain dead? 

“ _No_ , Hyunjin, I don’t have a puppy kink. That’s all you.” Hyunjin turns a corner sharply and Minho hits the window, wincing in pain. The fucker doesn’t even apologize, grinning wildly as the company comes into view. 

(Then again, Hyunjin doesn’t deny it.) 

\---

Minho walks into the company feeling like a goddamn fool. One, his hair is a mess because he’s run his hand into it too many times to be normal within the span of their car ride. Two, his white dress shirt is covered in a brown stain that he knows isn’t going to come off anytime soon, and it’s sticking to his chest uncomfortably. Three, he can’t think straight because he’s gay and because he’s one second away from curling up on the sidewalk and passing out there, and because he hasn’t had his proper morning coffee today. 

Hyunjin strides by him and chatters on about Minho’s schedule as they step inside the elevator and go to Minho’s office. Minho’s only half-listening, but he can hear Hyunjin repeat things once or twice to make sure Minho’s heard the information at least once. Minho doesn’t deserve him, really. Minho waves to his employees and tries not to think about the fact that he looks like a hot mess at approximately 8:30 am. 

He’s never looked this bad before, and it seems like everyone knows this, even the trainees who have never seen him in their entire lives. Not that they’ve lived for very long, but _still_. Today is an important day in LINO Entertainment. 

Everyone’s on edge today, eyes flickering between Minho’s face and his shirt and Hyunjin’s tense expression behind him. 

Minho offers them a smile, and everything goes back to normal again. 

When they arrive at Minho’s office, Hyunjin scurries forward and opens the door so that Minho can walk on through and slump at his desk, Minho slams his head down onto his folded arms in front of him, groaning. Hyunjin looks at him sympathetically before throwing a spare dress shirt onto Minho’s head. Minho thanks him and unbuttons his shirt, thankful that he doesn’t have to feel the uncomfortable stickiness anymore. He pulls on the new shirt and looks up at Hyujin, who’s standing next to his desk with his schedule and folder in hand. 

“So.” Minho asks. “What’s the schedule for today?” 

“You have five meetings today, the first one is in half an hour. One of the meetings is for the new business deal, by the way.” Minho nods, stretching his arms over his head and yawning. 

“No breaks in between?” Hyunjin flips through the folder and shakes his head. 

“No, sir. You have a break at two, and the rest of the meetings one after another after that. Then you’re free for the day except for the leftover work.” 

Minho nods and dismisses him. Hyunjin bows and walks out of his office, shooting Minho a bright smile before he leaves. It cheers him up slightly, but Minho can feel a pounding headache coming up, and he groans. Today is _not_ his day. 

\---

He nearly passes out before 2pm, meeting after meeting to attend. Why are people so _incompetent_? And why is it always the sixty year olds that decide to be argumentative and try to ruin everything that Minho has worked for, even when it doesn’t affect them in the slightest? It’s sick, and they know that. Minho is desperately waiting for the day karma catches up to those old geezers and takes them away with one swoop. It would be a day of celebration. 

Minho stumbles into his office and crashes into his chair, holding his head into his arms and trying not to cry. His head hurts _so bad_ , it feels like it’s going to explode at this point. It may as well, so then Minho won’t have to deal with everything now. 

He calls for Hyunjin weakly, hoping that he’ll hear him. Luckily, Hyunjin has an amazing sense of hearing and walks briskly to Minho’s office. He bears coffee. Minho would kiss him only if he weren’t afraid of rabid squirrels coming after his beautiful face with a knife. “Ah, thank you for the fuel, Hyunjin.” Hyunjin murmurs his reply and bends down so that he’s eyes level with Minho. 

Minho looks up at him blankly and takes another sip of his coffee. He can feel his energy being replenished already, even though it’s making his headache worse. Well, everything comes with a price, after all. “Hyunjin get me my painkillers. My head is going to explode soon.” He mutters, gesturing vaguely to the cabinet with his medicine in it. Not that he needs to _tell_ Hyunjin where it is, but the force of habit prompts him to do so . 

Hyunjin places a glass of water down in front of him too, and watches anxiously as Minho takes the pill, swallowing water right afterwards. Minho runs a hand through his hair again and sighs. 

“Hyung, are you sure you don’t want to go home early today? I can move your meetings to a later time, you know they’d understand-”

“ _No_ , Hyunjin. You know that they wouldn’t understand. We shouldn’t be making excuses. I’ll be fine, it’s just a headache. I’ll sleep more tonight.” Hyunjin sighs but doesn’t push the matter, something that Minho’s thankful for. 

“You may go now, Secretary Hwang.” Hyunjin gives him a _look_ as he walks out, and Minho salutes him cheekily. His head is pounding, his eyes are closing, and he wants to die but his snark is still very much intact. In fact, Minho thinks he’s gotten snarkier. Wonderful.

Minho breathes out heavily, straightens his shoulders, cries inside, and readies himself for hell. 

\---

It wasn’t that bad until after Minho left the office. With his meetings over with and work completed, he was going to go home and _sleep_. Play one of those piano playlists and lie still until sleep overtook him. It was a good plan. Until he sees Kim Seungmin outside.

Mind you, Minho’s already half asleep and slightly tipsy from the multiple glasses of wine he had earlier to keep himself going. He isn’t in the right state of mind. 

So it makes sense that as soon as he sees the other, he dives into a group of bushes and takes his phone out to record everything. Later on, he will look through this video and wonder what the everloving _fuck_ was going through his brain, but that is later. As of now, there is only one thought running through his mind: he’s a mcfreakin’ _genius_. 

Minho giggles to himself, shaky fingers bringing the phone up so that it can record Seungmin, who seems to be walking around the building, waiting for someone. Minho frowns. “He can’t be looking for Hyunjin, can he? I’m pretty sure I sent him home four hours ago.” And he had. Minho remembers it clearly. So who is Seungmin waiting for?

As Minho watches on, legs growing increasingly tired and achy from the force of kneeling awkwardly on the ground, he sees Seungmin huff and turn around. Then he runs a hand through his hair and _wow was Kim Seungmin always this hot_. Minho shakes his head and curses when he realizes he’s said that out loud. Oh well. It’s not like anyone’s going to hear him anyways. Because he’s whispering. And in a bush. No one would think that a bush is whispering, especially not about Seungmin. Right? Right. 

Minho takes his attention back to Seungmin and screams when he finds that Seungmin is staring right at him, eyes furrowed and gaze sharp. Something shoots through Minho’s heart, and emotion so unfamiliar that he can’t place a name on it. Minho’s so startled that he tries to get up but fails, foot getting tangled into the bushes and rolling forward so that he sits at Seungmin’s feet, because apparently Seungmin has magical powers and can teleport. 

Minho grimaces, clutching his ankle and whining. It _hurts_ . Seungmin huffs and walks forward, so close that Minho could reach out and touch his stupid shiny black shoes if he wanted to. He doesn’t want to. “Why were you in the bushes?” Seungmin asks, as if they’re _friends_. Just the mere thought of being friends with someone like Kim Seungmin makes Minho want to yeet himself into a sewer hole and never come out. 

Minho looks up (curse him for being so _tall_ ) and glares. “They’re my bushes. If I want to appreciate my bushes, then I will appreciate my bushes. You do not get to judge.”

Seungmin raises one perfectly manicured eyebrow and slowly slides his gaze from Minho to the bushes. It’s infuriating. 

“You were appreciating your bushes by hiding in them and spying on me?” He asks. His tone is accusatory. Minho wants to bite him. And not in the sexy way. Maybe he _should_ bite him. Just lean forward and...chomp. But Felix says that it’s bad to bite people you aren’t fond of, so Minho restrains himself. Even though he sees that one button of Seungmin’s shirt is open, exposing his collarbones. Minho’s eyes are drawn to the milk white skin that’s exposed. 

Seungmin seems to notice because he’s snapping his fingers in front of Minho’s face, which aggravates his headache even more. Minho sighs. “Seungmin-ssi, what do you want?” 

Seungmin rolls his eyes. “Answer my question, Minho-ssi. I want to know why you were spying on me while hiding in your bushes.” 

Minho sighs. “I wasn’t spying on you while hiding in my bushes, like I said, Seungmin-ssi. I was merely spending time with my beautiful plants, because I decided that today is all about appreciation, and that I should both appreciate the bushes, and the gardeners’ hard work in keeping them trimmed. There is nothing more to it. I was _not_ spying on you, no matter how much your brain wants to believe that.”

Seungmin blinks rapidly, cheeks coloring and eyebrows furrowed. “And why would you think that my brain wants to believe that a creep like you was spying on me?” 

Minho’s head hurts _so much_ , all he wants to do is call a taxi, head home, take painkillers, and crash into bed for a night of fitful sleep. He would rather be anywhere else than to be talking to Kim Seungmin. “I don’t know, Seungmin-ssi, how about you ask your brain?” Minho snaps, hands shaking as his headache gets worse. Minho thinks he may black out any second now, but he can’t. Not in front of him. 

Minho sighs as Seungmin starts to talk about something else, ignoring the words coming out of the younger’s mouth as he tries to stand up. He’s successful. Mostly. He stands up but then a wave of nausea and pain hits him like a train and he sways, stumbling back. 

Seungmin stops what he’s saying and looks at him with wide eyes. Minho grimaces. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to call a taxi and head home, as it is quite late.” He offers him a thin lipped smile. “Have a nice night, Seungmin-ssi.” 

And then he promptly crumples into Kim Seungmin’s arms. Goddamnit. 

\---

Seungmin was having a relatively normal day. He woke up, got dressed, went to work. He attended meetings, looked over his newest group’s progress, and did the standard CEO work things. He stayed out later at the company to finish up some paperwork and other things he has put off in favor of more important business. 

And then he left the company so he could drive home. Seungmin hadn’t received any text messages from either Jisung or Hyunjin, so he waited in front of the LINO Entertainment building to see if he could catch either of them, since they usually hung out around this area after work. 

He had been waiting there for about five minutes when something caught his eye. But after a quick glance at his surroundings, Seungmin had chalked it up to just his senses tricking him again, or a squirrel. Either was likely. 

When neither Hyunjin nor Jisung had come around after some time, Seungmin had decided to go home and try to sleep, since he hadn’t gotten much all week. (Courtesy of a weird dream he had, one that he couldn’t remember.)

So then he had turned around to go back to his car when he made eye contact with something in the bushes. Seungmin’s eyes had widened and he stepped back in shock, but then that _something_ in the bushes screamed and out-tumbled Lee Minho, CEO of LINO Entertainment. The entertainment company he was standing in front of, right now. Also the company that is his so called “rival”. But Seungmin wouldn’t call him and Minho _rivals_ , per say, because adult rivalries _always_ have homoerotic undertones in them, and Kim Seungmin may be a gay man, but there are absolutely no homoerotic undertones in his relationship with Lee Minho. None at all. 

And then that Lee Minho had tried to come up with a stupid excuse as to _why_ he was spying on Seungmin from the _bushes_ , nonetheless, and then tried to stand up and then failed, falling forward into Seungmin’s arms. 

And that’s where they’re at now.

Seungmin looks at Minho’s face, eyes wide open with surprise. Minho looks so tired. His face was pale, paler than usual, and there were dark circles set deep under his eyes. Seungmin frowns and places a hand onto Minho’s forehead to check his temperature. A gasp leaves his mouth and he takes his hand away immediately. Minho’s burning up. Minho’s burning up and...and Seungmin felt a spark. A spark between his hand and Minho’s forehead. He looks at his fingers. They’re still tingling. Could he have imagined it?

Seungmin groans and shifts Minho. What is he supposed to do? He doesn’t know where Minho lives, and he’s quite sure that Minho isn’t going to wake up any time soon (and even if he was, Seungmin doesn’t want to wake up. It looks like Minho needs to sleep, and it’s worrying just how bad his sleep schedule has gotten for him to turn out like _this_ , a crumbling mess in Seungmin’s arms). 

Eventually, Seungmin decides to carry Minho back into his car so that he can call Hyunjin and then figure out what to do from there. So Seungmin hooks an arm under Minho’s knees and another under his back and picks him up, carrying him princess-style towards his car. It’s a bit of a hassle to unlock his own car, but Seungmin manages to do it anyways, and places Minho carefully onto the passenger seat, pushing his head back so that he can sleep more comfortably. 

Seungmin sighs and walks over to his side of the car and slides in, calling Hyunjin. He picks up on the third ring, sounding breathless. “Seungmin? Did something happen? What’s wrong?” 

“Yeah, hi, Hyunjin. I just called because I have Lee Minho passed out in the passenger seat of my car, and I was wondering if you could take him.” 

He hears a gasp, a bit of shuffling, and then a curse, followed by “Goddamnit I knew he would pass out today. Yeah, sorry about that, I’m coming to get him hold on. Thanks for keeping him there, Seungmin.”

Seungmin smiles. “It’s no problem, really. But please tell him to stop spying on people.”

Hyunjin curses again. “He was _what_ ?” A sigh. “Yeah, okay I’ll tell Felix to scold him, I’m on my way now, see you soon.” The call disconnects and Seungmin exhales, leaning back into his seat to take a look at Minho. Seungmin’s never really paid any attention to him, only knowing that him and Minho are supposedly competing for the top Entertainment company spot. Truth be told, Seungmin doesn’t exactly _care_ as long as he’s making sales, but he plays along with the notion for a bit of fun. 

But he’s definitely never _liked_ Minho. The man’s always been too rash, too teasing, too loud, too chaotic. Not someone Seungmin would like to get closer with. His eyes have strayed to the older’s face a few times, because anyone with eyes can tell that Lee Minho is objectively gorgeous.

Seungmin studies his face. Minho looks so...peaceful. Smaller. Less tense. Like a kitten. His features are smoothed out and his lips are turned up a tiny bit, contrasting from the frown that’s ever present on his face during the daytime. He’s beautiful. He looks untouchable here, small and fragile. 

Seungmin’s eyes trail over Minho’s face, from his large eyes to his perfect, _perfect_ nose bridge, to his lips. They look so...soft. He wants to kiss them. 

Wait _what_?

A ring from Seungmin’s phone startles him, and he yelps, pressing a hand to his heart as he tries to even his breathing out. “Hello, Hyunjin?” Seungmin asks. Hyunjin says he’s here to pick Minho up, so Seungmin gets out of the car and waves to him, making small talk as Hyunjin lifts Minho up carefully and deposits him into his car.

“Thanks for not leaving him out on the streets, Seungmin.” Hyunjin jokes, waving goodbye to him as he enters his own car. Seungmin laughs and tells him that he was considering it for a while, but decided to be an exemplary citizen and help the poor man out. 

Even as Seungmin heads to bed later that night, he can’t shake off the feeling of touching Minho’s skin with his, nor the feeling that shot through him when their eyes made contact. 

What is _happening_ to him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi hello how was it? also i wrote half of this while listening to wake up by elaine on loop (it's such a good song please pretty please listen to it and watch its okay to not be okay while you're at it !!) most of this was written today and it is vv unedited but hopefully it wasn't too bad? ALSO YEAH SO i actually wrote 1k of hyunsung angst last week but i hated it afterwards so i deleted the entire chapter (one of the reasons why it took me this long to upload even though i was on break) and i ended up rewriting it as this :D also i promised yall fluff so uh there i added about a paragraph of kim seungmin thinking that minho is pretty hope that works whOOPS
> 
> drop a comment! it motivates me ;) ;) ;) 
> 
> stay safe <3
> 
> edit: i was Really Tired last night when i uploaded this, but ive woken up and edited it so i think the typos should be gone now


	5. lee felix is secretly a fairy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is his death. This is how Lee Minho, CEO of one of the most successful entertainment industries, will die. Because of a rolling pin, thrown by his best friend. Minho collapses onto the couch with a cry of mercy, flopping backwards so he’s looking up at Felix pitifully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is basically just a filler chapter of fluff to give minho the comfort he deserves (worry not, i'll go straight back to hurting him in later chapters- sorry minho) 
> 
> have fun!

Minho wakes up with the sun shining into his eyes. It’s not the most pleasant way to wake up, no matter how warm and fluffy he feels. The heat boring into his eyelids is largely unwelcome. But he’s well-rested. Minho feels  _ well-rested _ . He hasn’t felt this great in years. Should that be concerning? That’s probably concerning. (It’s very concerning). 

Minho sits up and runs a hand through his hair, looking for his alarm clock. And then he chokes promptly, sitting up quickly to scramble around on the bed. 

Because it is  _ ten am _ and Minho is late to work. Hell, he probably missed one of his meetings already. Which brings him to another question: why didn’t Hyunjin wake him? How did he manage to miss every single one of his alarms? What  _ happened _ last night? Minho has so many questions and zero answers. 

Then the memories start coming back to him. His lack of sleep. Coffee on his shirt. Drinking wine at the company. Walking out of the company only to see Seungmin. Hiding in bushes. Rolling out of his bushes. Collapsing. Thinking about how beautiful Seungmin looked, with the pale light of the moon shining down on him through the car window, the slope of his nose and the color of his hair, and his thin lips as they pressed together. Minho was barely conscious at that time, and yet he still remembers all of these minute details about someone who’s crashed into his life like the way Minho crashed into his arms. Fitting. 

Minho stares at the ground, aghast.  _ What has he done _ ? He flops back onto the bed and groans, shoving his face into a pillow and trying to pretend like it never happened. Maybe if he lies still for enough time the memories will go away and this entire situation will turn out to be a particularly annoying nightmare. He lays there with his head pressed into the pillow until he can’t breathe. Then he sits up, breathing in big gulps of air. So. That wasn’t a nightmare. How utterly disappointing. 

Minho has stopped panicking about missing work by now. There isn’t anything he can do, and there also isn’t any point in rushing himself too much, especially since Hyunjin has probably moved all his meetings to a later date. Minho’s just about to reach for his phone when it rings by itself. 

Hyunjin knows him a little too well. It’s slightly terrifying. Minho sighs and picks up the call, putting it on speaker as he flops back down onto the bed, staring up at his bleak ceiling blankly. “Hello hyung!”, Hyunjin’s nasally chirps out. “Did you sleep well?”

Minho huffs. “Maybe. Why didn’t my alarms ring?” 

Hyunjin chuckles from the other end. “They did.” Minho’s eyes widen with shock and he sits up quickly to check his alarms. He’s missed them all. How hard did he pass out? He didn’t realize he had spoken the last word out loud until Hyunjin snorts. 

“You were very out of it hyung. Seungmin said that you just….collapsed into his arms'' he says, worry bleeding into the tone of his voice. A pang of guilt strikes through Minho’s heart at the sound. Hyunjin looks genuinely concerned for him. 

“I’m sorry Hyunjin. I didn’t mean to make you worry.” Minho apologizes, fiddling with the silk ends of his robe. He hears Hyunjin sigh on the other side, and Minho can almost see him, one hand propped up on his hip as he holds the phone to his ear, the coffee machine behind him. 

“It’s okay, hyung, just please try to take care of yourself so something like this doesn’t happen again, okay? Yes, you’re the CEO and you have more responsibilities than the rest of us but that doesn’t mean that we can’t carry out your duties too, okay? If you ever feel this bad again it’s better to work only a half-day and go home early so you can rest instead of passing out in public, possibly causing the public to worry, and then having to take an entire day off. You hire only the best, remember that. We care for you a lot, hyung.”

Minho exhales shakily, tear brimming at the corners of his eyes. He wipes them away, sniffling softly. Minho hears Hyunjin sigh on the other end of the phone. “I promise, Hyunjinnie. Thank you for taking care of me. I’ll make sure to rest well.”

Hyunjin makes a noise of assent and then pauses. A comfortable silence washes over the two men before Hyunjin speaks again. “Thank you for not arguing with me, hyung. I appreciate it a lot.” He snorts. “Makes my life so much easier.”

Minho rolls his eyes. “Which is the only reason I didn’t fight you. There’s really no point.” Hyunjin murmurs in agreement. 

“So,” Hyunjin exclaims suddenly. “Kim Seungmin, huh?” 

Minho splutters (which gives away more than he had intended it to), blushing red. Luckily, Hyunjin can’t see him, because Minho knows it would be a complete mess if his secretary caught him  _ blushing _ because of the other CEO. “What is that supposed to mean, Hyunjin?”

“Don’t play innocent, hyung, we all know you know what that means. You can pretend to act all cold and snarky and cool but everyone still knows you have three piles of shoujo manga hidden under your bed.” 

Minho shrieks and hands over the side of the bed to check if his precious piles of shoujo manga are still there in the box. Thankfully, they are. Minho breathes out a sigh of relief and glares at his phone, which is now on speaker so he can hear his secretary’s obnoxious cackles. “I hate you,” Minho informs his phone. It only lets out a series of giggles in response and Minho glares at it.

When Hyunjin’s giggles eventually die down, and he can properly breathe again, he says, “I need to go now, hyung. Don’t worry about anything today and  _ please _ try to rest. Go visit Felix, he’s been missing you for a while now.” He hangs up, leaving Minho alone in the silence of his house. 

Minho’s apartment has always been too big for him. Too grandiose, too large for one person. Still, he needs to keep up appearances, and the public wants to see a rich man like him live in an elegant apartment that overlooks the Seoul skyline. (The view is gorgeous, however, so no complaints there.) 

Minho walks through the hallways quietly, bare feet padding against the shiny linoleum. It’s so silent in here. So empty. So silent that he’d be able to hear a pin drop. He walks to the sky bar. Outside, Seoul looks busy, people crowding the streets, the faint sound of laughter traveling up to where Minho stands, overlooking the city. He feels powerful here, an eerie misplaced power that doesn’t sit well inside of him. Minho shivers and goes back inside to shower. 

He rubs every single inch of him roughly, trying to wipe the weird feeling off of him. He’s been feeling odd ever since that godforsaken nightmare. Sometimes he feels like his feelings aren’t truly  _ his _ , that he can feel the feelings of someone else. 

Minho shivers. The water is so warm. 

\---

Somewhere a good ways away from Minho’s apartment, Kim Seungmin stands tall at his office, overlooking the city of Seoul from his office. He twirls a glass of wine between his fingers, sipping it idly. A perfectly tailored suit encompasses his form, highlighting every single curve and line his figure has to offer. Today, his hair is slicked back to reveal his forehead and sharp, glittering eyes. 

His shoulder slump and the light in his eyes go dull. Jisung watches him from the other side of the room, brows furrowed together in worry and lips set into a thin line. 

Seungmin turns away from the view swiftly, sitting down in his chair. He snaps his fingers once. The blinds behind him close, darkness flooding into the room. Seungmin puts his head into his hands and sighs. Jisung comes forward, hesitantly, afraid Seungmin will bite. “Seungmin? Are you okay? Is something wrong?” 

Seungmin just waves him away, eyes darkening. Jisung frowns and scuttles away out of the room. Once he’s out, he fishes his phone from his pocket and dials his boyfriend’s number, placing it onto his ear. Hyunjin picks up on the second ring. “Hello?” He says, sounding breathless. “Baby, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”  
“Is there something wrong with Minho?” Jisung asks. Blunt. “Because there’s something wrong with Seungmin, and I’m not sure what. He’s not telling me anything.” Jisung exhales. “Jinnie….do you think this has something to do with their encounter from yesterday?”

“I’m not sure, Sungie. Maybe. Minho’s staying home today, which is odd in itself. He missed all of his alarms and didn’t even put up a fight when I told him to stay home and rest.” Jisung curses under his breath. He doesn’t know much about Lee Minho, but he knows enough to know that he never  _ ever _ misses a day of work. 

“That. That’s bad, isn’t it?” 

“Mhm, he’s never gone down so willingly before. How’s Seungmin?” 

“He kicked me out of his office just now. He never does that, Jinnie, I’m kind of worried.” Jisung tightens his grip on the phone and slumps down against the door. Hyunjin makes a soothing sound on the other end of the call, and Jisung breathes in shakily. 

“Baby, it’ll be okay. They’re adults, they know how to take care of themselves. It’ll be okay, try not to stress too much, okay?”

Jisung closes his eyes and breathes in, trying to imagine Hyunjin with him. “Okay.” 

\---

Minho decides to take Hyunjin’s advice and drop by Felix’s place. He pulls up in front of Felix’s apartment and lowers his car window to squint at the door, making an old woman stare at him as she walks by. Minho smiles as pleasantly as he can at her, and she hobbles quicker to get away from him, cane tapping on the concrete, making Minho scowl. Stupid judgmental old ladies. He flips her off behind her back, cursing under his breath. 

Minho decides to wait outside Felix’s door a little longer before doing anything. 

After five minutes the door still hasn’t opened by the force of Minho’s magical stare gaze, and so he gives up and pulls out his phone to call Felix. 

The author picks up on the third ring, voice grainy and tired. Minho frowns. “Did you just wake up, Felix?” Felix mumbles something incoherent into the speaker. Minho blinks. “Felix?” More incoherent mumbling. Minho rolls his eyes and sighs. “Okay, whatever. I’m outside your house, so open the door.” Incoherent mumbling. Then, a crash. Minho’s eye twitches. 

Ten seconds later, the door opens and Felix’s head pokes out. It’s obvious that he’s just woken up, hair a bedazzled mess. The sparkles in his black strands shine under the light, letting Minho see them even from his distance from the other man. Felix’s face transforms into a grin when he sees Minho, gesturing loudly. Minho saults him silently and goes to park in a legal spot. 

A few minutes later, Minho enters Felix’s tiny little house, smiling widely at the comfort and homeliness of the entire place. Felix’s apartment is small, comfortable, and always seems to smell like warm brownies and baked goods. It’s wonderful. It feels more like home than his apartment, which is...concerning. 

Felix gives him a  _ look _ as Minho enters. His hands are on his hips, pastel pink apron tied around his waist snugly, eyes narrowed. In his hand he holds a wooden rolling pin that terrifies Minho more than it should. He steps back slowly, eyes widening as Felix steps forward with a menacing glare, rolling pin poised in the air. 

This is his death. This is how Lee Minho, CEO of one of the most successful entertainment industries, will die. Because of a rolling pin, thrown by his best friend. Minho collapses onto the couch with a cry of mercy, flopping backwards so he’s looking up at Felix pitifully. 

Felix looks like an eccentric wine aunt, eyes blazing as he points the wooden rolling pin at Minho’s face. Minho tries to look as cute as possibly to thwart his possibly incoming death. He’s too pretty to die! 

“Lee Minho.” 

Minho’s going to die today, he’s sure of it. 

Felix steps forward. The rolling pin is one inch away from his nose. Minho goes cross eyed just by looking at it. “Why did you overwork yourself so much that you ended up collapsing into your  _ rival’s _ arms?” The rolling pin is now touching his nose. 

“He isn’t my rival, Felix. Rivalries always have homoerotic undertones to them, and there is  _ nothing _ homoerotic about Seungmin and I,” Minho claims, chest puffed up and eyes still trained on the rolling pin. 

Felix blinks. “Minho you are both gay men.  _ Everything _ is homoerotic about you both.” Minho splutters, sitting back and pushing the rolling pin away from his nose. He glares at Felix through his fringe, trying to look as sad as he can so Felix will take pity on him and give him a brownie and some love. 

Felix must read his mind (Minho’s convinced he’s secretly a fairy) because he rolls his eyes and pads into the kitchen, soft pink socks hitting the floor lightly. Minho pouts and puts a pillow under his head so he can watch Felix work. 

Felix is an author, but his house always smells like baked goods (especially brownies) simply because of the sheer amount he bakes. It makes his apartment homely and comforting; the smell washes over people like a warm fuzzy blanket. Minho yawns, blinking slowly at Felix, who seems to be coming back with a plate full of  _ something _ and a glass of milk. He gestures for Minho to sit up and so sit up he does, staring up at Felix with something akin to thankfulness. Felix only smiles and hands him the plate (full of Minho’s favorite brownies- Hyunjin must have told Felix beforehand) and a glass of warm milk. 

Then Felix sits next to Minho, pulls him into his side, and puts on their favorite drama. Minho sighs in content, snuggling closer to him before eating. It’s warm. Peaceful. But still, there’s  _ something _ lingering at the back of his mind, a seed that’s been planted in his head and can only grow. It’s already taken root in his brain, and there’s absolutely nothing Minho can do about it. 

\---

Minho falls asleep during the third episode of Hotel Del Luna. The plate and the glass sit on the table, completely empty. He wakes up around 5pm, with a soft pillow under his head and a blanket thrown over his shoulders. Felix is nowhere to be seen, which is normal. He’s probably writing. Or somewhere else in the house. 

Minho yawns, sitting up slowly and stretching, back slowly arching. He shakes all the tiredness out of himself, blinking softly as he pushes the blanket off of himself. He’s slept so much today, it’s odd. But he isn’t complaining, especially since he feels so nice. The door opens, and Hyunjin walks through the door, stopping at the sight of Minho. 

Minho waves at Hyunjin, prompting the younger to continue taking off his shoes and putting take out on the counter. Hyunjin walks over and wraps Minho up in a big hug, swaying side to side. Felix joins them a little while after, sneaking his tiny body in between the both of them and giggling angelically. 

“Did you sleep well, hyung?” Felix asks, carding his hands through Minho’s hair. Minho nods, nearly purring at how good the gesture feels. He’s being absolutely  _ spoiled _ today, and he loves it. 

Minho misses the sad look Hyunjin and Felix exchange. 

\---

He probably shouldn’t be walking to his house at midnight alone and barefoot, but here he is, walking to his house at midnight, alone and barefoot. Minho yawns and stretches, working all of the knots out of his tired muscles. Today was a nice day. 

Minho isn’t going to sleep today, but he’s made peace with it. It’ll be okay. 

Minho arrives home safely. 

\---

Seungmin needs to talk to Minho. Urgently. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT this might suck because its unedited and largely written today but also schools has been kicking my ass 😭🙏🙏im failing school pls i have finals next week AND IM ACTUALLY GOING TO LIKE..FAIL ALL OF THEM PLS PRAY FOR ME fuck school all my homies hate school 
> 
> ugh anyways i hope this was alright!! pls drop a comment to wake up to because its 1am and i should be sleeping but i wrote this instead oops 
> 
> (ALSO LETS TALK ABOUT MAKNAE ON TOP OMFG I SCREAMED OVER THAT THE ENTIRE DAY YESTERDAY AND I SCREAMED SOME MORE TODAY BC YANG JEONGIN REALLY MADE A SONG ABOUT BEING SEXC AND THE BEST AS HE SHOULD anyways im so proud of him he's my ult bias and im just so ????@??@?!?!? happy??@??@? he deserves the world sobs cries screams)


	6. kim seungmin confident gay era?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment their eyes meet, sparks fly, the force of the intense feeling hitting Seungmin full on. The buzz in the air only grows louder, and his skin tingles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear to god if i have to write another essay on beans i will actually throw myself off the nearest cliff 
> 
> anyways sorry for the long wait, have fun!

Seungmin exhales softly and places his head in his hands. The windows are still closed behind him, leaving the room in dull darkness. He feels a little bad for kicking Jisung out like that- the worried expression on the other's face breaks his heart, shatters it to pieces. Jisung is one of Seungmin’s closest friends, and seeing him like that scares him. Jisung’s never looked at him in that way before. 

Which is exactly why he kicked him out in the first place. Seungmin doesn't want Jisungs pity, even if he knows it's not petty, even if he knows that Jisung only wants the best for him and is just  _ worried _ . (Maybe that’s what shocks him the most- someone’s worried about him?) 

At the end of things, Seungmin just wants to be alone with his thoughts, is that too much to ask? maybe it is. because seungmin suddenly feels so  _ alone _ , so crippled and confused. there's an odd sort of weight on his chest as if the gravitational force of the earth has befallen on his lungs. Suddenly seungmin can't breathe and then he's shaking, fists clenched together and nails digging into his palms, marking red crescents into his pale skin. 

The thing is, he doesn't exactly know what's happening. He can't really place his feelings, doesn't understand what causes this breakdown. seungmin closes his eyes and with a burst of mental effort, unclenches his fists. it takes a while for him to accomplish this, tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes and trickling down his cheeks. 

He leans back in his chair and breathes in and out slowly, clenching and unclenching his fists to match the rhythm of his breaths. It starts to work. Slowly, Seungmin’s breathing becomes less rugged and heavy, his hands stop shaking, and the indents made by his sharp nails fade away into nothingness. His mind is still clogged, however. It feels like someone put a tornado in his head, thoughts a whirlwind, scattered around and bouncing off the walls of his mentality. It’s exhausting. 

Seungmin is organized at heart. He has multitudes of folders, color-coded, tabbed, and appropriately labeled. His house is pristine, as well as his workspace. Physically he lives, breathes,  _ exists _ in the organization. Mentally, however? Oh  _ please _ . Seungmin’s mind is a fucking mess. It’s such a sharp contrast to his calm exterior, the fact that his thoughts chaotically bump into each other, pulling and clashing at each other wildly while Seungmin tries his hardest not to break down. 

Times like these are the times when he almost regrets becoming a CEO.  _ Almost _ . It's the stress, the overwhelming pressure to be perfect because even the smallest of mistakes from him could bring the entire company crashing down, which is the last thing Seungmin wants or needs right now.

Seungmin calms down after a while and organizes his thoughts to the best of his ability. He needs to see Minho now. 

Truth be told, ever since Seungmin has had that weird dream (the one where he was at a bakery in a city named Magnolia, with the smell of freshly baked brownies washing over him and a stranger whose face he can’t remember standing in front of him, face blurred past recognition), he can’t stop thinking about Minho. Can’t stop hearing that haunting melody in his head. He can’t get the image of Minho sitting in his car with the pale light of the moon washing over his face. He can’t get away from the feeling of lifting Minho into his arms. Ever since then, all Seungmin can think about is Minho, Minho, Minho, and  _ Minho _ .

He’s never felt like this before. In between the ongoing stress of his job and the meetings he needs to hold, Seungmin’s thoughts always go back to Minho, as if they’re fated to be together, and Seungmin’s subconsciousness is pushing him forward, trying to get him to make the first move. And so he shall. This time, once his head stops pounding and he gets the rest of his thoughts in order, Seungmin’s going to do something about the odd push and pull of their relationship, whatever it may be.

(It’s  _ definitely _ not a rivalry, no matter how much of the media thinks it is, because rivalries always have homoerotic undertones to them, and there is absolutely no homoerotic undertones in Minho and Seungmin’s relationship. Absolutely none.)

Hopefully, everything works out and Seungmin doesn’t back out at the very end and then berates himself for being a coward in bed later that night. (Come to think of it, Jisung would probably scream at him more than Seungmin would.) Seungmin shudders. Getting yelled at by Han Jisung is an out of body experience that he never wants to experience ever again in his entire life. 

It’s okay. It’s alright. Everything is going to go perfectly fine because Seungmin has half of a plan ready and his thoughts are in order once again. 

Seungmin calls for Jisung, trying to convey as much apologeticness into his tone as he possibly can. When the older man enters, slowly, hesitantly, almost as if he can’t believe it’s happening, Seungmin simply asks for the time of his next meeting. The smile that breaks across Jisung’s face is enormous. Seungmin offers him a tiny smile of his own. Soon enough, the cards will be put into play and the wheels will finally start turning. 

\--- 

Somewhere amidst the truths and the lies of the universe, Bang Chan and Seo Changbin sit and watch the ridiculously boring life of Kim Seungmin on their TV. 

Changbin pops another popcorn into his mouth, chewing obnoxiously. Chan shoots him a dirty look from the corner of his eye, but the younger doesn’t seem to notice. only pointing to the television with an affronted look on his face. “Hyung, why do people lead such simple lives? All he does the entire day is work, eat, and sleep.” A pause. Changbin taps his chin in thought as Chan steals a handful of his popcorn and pours it into his mouth. 

“He also receives...flowers….every day. At the front of his doorstep or the company building. Every bouquet means some version of “fuck you”, and they’re being sent by a close friend of his.” Changbin gasps and grasps Chan’s bicep. “Hyung, they aren’t dating, are they? If they’re dating that means that Minho has no chance with Seungmin and they won’t be together.” Chan blinks at him, opening his mouth to answer, but Changbin sits up again, eyes lighting up. 

“Wait but they’re soulmates, which means that Seungmin and Jeongin will have to break up for Seungmin and  _ Minho _ to be together. Except Seungmin has started to pine for Minho a lot these days.” Changbin sits back down on his beanbag, confused. 

Chan huffs, crossing his arms over his chest. “If you would let me  _ talk _ , Binnie, then I’d be able to say that Jeongin and Seungmin aren’t dating and that the flowers Jeongin sends are just old clippings that he can’t sell. He gives away the other ones, but sends the ones that mean “fuck you” as a daily reminder of their friendship.”

Changbin gasps in understanding, eyes crinkling as he thanks Chan for explaining everything to him. But as Seungmin sends Jisung away, eyes darkening and shoulders slumping, the atmosphere of their room grows solemn.

They watch as Seungmin starts to shake, nails driving deep into his palm. The two deities watch with dark eyes as one of the main characters of their little drama tries to bring himself back to reality. 

“They’ll realize soon enough, hyung,” Changbin says, voice low. 

Chan nods, hands fisted loosely at his side. “Yes. They will. And when they do….” Chan winces. He doesn’t envy them the slightest. “It has to get worse before it gets better. After this year, they’ll live happily without having to endure anything like that ever again.” 

Balance. A state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc. Something used to produce equilibrium; counterpoise. Mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgment, etc. a state of bodily equilibrium (Dictionary). 

On the tv, they zoom into Seungmin’s face. He looks tired. Chan hopes he can deal with exhaustion because Seungmin’s going to feel a  _ lot _ more soon enough. 

\---

It’s the end of the day. Today has been, quite frankly, a shit show. Besides Seungmin’s personal mental breakdown that has him allegedly looking like the brooding young main character of an indie movie, the rest of the day has been too chaotic for the strict organization his life runs on. 

Seungmin groans, stretching his arms and working all the kinks out of his body. He loosens his tie and waves a tired goodbye to Jisung, who looks one step away from passing out right then and there. Seungmin watches him go, knowing that Jisung will go back home to warm arms and kisses pressed to the planes of his cheek. It ignites a pang of jealousy within him. When will Seungmin get that warmth? He goes home to the coldest of apartments, lonely inside a container that was never made for him anyways. 

Seungmin hates going home. It’s not even home, his apartment is just an expensive box that’s empty save for burning despair and cold gusts of wind. Nothing to be proud of- the only thing that’s worthy of his house is the sheer size of it, and how much it cost. But Seungmin isn’t one to flaunt his success. 

Today, however, Seungmin isn't planning on going to his house so soon. After all, he  _ did  _ help Minho the other day, helped him quite a bit, so he needs to cash in a favor or two. And maybe figure out why the older man has been on his mind for the past week or so. Seungmin walks outside his office to LINO Entertainment, standing at the front of it like he had done only a few days past.

Already, Seungmin can feel the faint buzzing in the air, the tingles under his skin. It’s an odd feeling, only brought around when he’s near Minho. This is concerning because Seungmin doesn’t want Minho to be some kind of special to him- Seungmin might get attached, and  _ that _ is something that he doesn’t ever want to risk. Seungmin doesn’t want Minho in his life, he doesn’t want to look at the older more than he needs to because his stupid perfect face makes his blood boil and makes him want to push him against the wall and- whoah whoah whoah. No. God, what’s happening to him. 

Seungmin shakes himself out of whatever headspace he’s gotten himself in and continues his process of thought. Yes, he wants to find out what the hell is going on and then distance himself from the other as much as he can. But truth be told- that’s a harder feat than h

Even still, Seungmin stands there in front of the office awkwardly, giving pained smiles to bystanders staring at him as they walk by. He’s a thousand percent sure there’s a flash of a camera one time and sighs. Well, there’s no going back now that the cameras have flashed, right? Right. 

Maybe ten minutes later, when Seungmin is just about to give up and go back to his apartment (It’s cold out here), Minho walks out of the building, running a hand through his hair and adjusting the glasses on his face. Even in the shitty lighting, Seungmin thinks he looks gorgeous. Oh god, when did he start thinking these kinds of things? Gorgeous? Lee Minho? Absolutely not. Seungmin doesn’t think he’s pretty no, he doesn’t think Minho is gorgeous no absolutely not. He’s  _ fine _ . 

Minho turns towards him in slow motion, looking like something out of a kdrama. Time slows. The moment their eyes meet, sparks fly.

The moment their eyes meet, sparks fly, the force of the intense feeling hitting Seungmin full on. The buzz in the air only grows louder, and his skin tingles. Minho glares at him, stalking forward. "Why are you in front of my office, Seungmin-ssi? Is this because of the night where you had to help me? Because if it is…" He trails off and starts to take out his wallet, holding out his credit card with a resigned sigh. "How much money do you want? I'll transfer it directly to your account." 

Seungmin flinches slightly, not expecting Minho to take this route of action. He looks at the credit card with distaste, pushing it away from himself, and gives Minho the friendliest smile he can muster. It comes out looking like a grimace instead. How extraordinarily accurate. "I don't want your money, Lee Minho-ssi." 

Minho frowns, sliding the credit card back into his wallet. He looks surprised. Seungmin wonders how many times he’s bought his way out of trouble. He’s sure that it’s none. "Then what do you want?", Minho asks. 

Seungmin smirks, stepping forward until he's right in front of Minho. He doesn't know how he's being so confident today- maybe it's because he's been trying to find an answer for longer than he would like to. Maybe it's all fake. As they say, fake it till you make it. This time, however, Seungmin isn't sure if he  _ wants  _ to make it all the way to the end. Because at the end of his journey lies an answer, one that would be helpful to know, but could also crush his very soul. Is he ready to take the plunge? (Yes. Yes, he is. Kim Seungmin has never been and will never be one to back down from finding his answer). 

"Go on a date with me." Minho’s eyes widen and Seungmin’s heart stops. Oh god. Oh god oh god oh god  _ oh god _ . That was not what was supposed to come out of his mouth. Seungmin splutters, waving his hands around frantically, trying to save the situation. "No no that's not what I meant,' he laughs nervously. Minho’s jaw clenches. "Let's get dinner right now. On you. Do that, and we'll be even." Seungmin doesn't miss the disappointment that grazes Minho’s face. It’s confusing, so Seungmin pushes the memory aside. 

Minho seems to regain some control over himself because he smirks and suddenly the Lee Minho that's portrayed in the media is back, all confident posture and tantalizing eyes. "Why would you want me to buy you dinner instead of simply handing you money, my dear Kim seungmin-ssi?" 

(And by god, does that “my” set fires to Seungmin’s heart). 

Seungmin shrugs. "You intrigue me. It’s been a while since I've met someone other than my secretary and our best friend." Seungmin hisses a curse under his breath. He didn’t mean to get so personal. Why are all of his walls suddenly made of glass around his man? Minho gives him a look (Seungmin can’t understand what it means) and starts walking, gesturing for Seungmin to follow. Seungmin does, walking after him lazily while trying to cover up the frantic beating of his heart. What is  _ wrong _ with him today? The walk is short, and they enter Minho's car, the owner himself starting it up. 

"That sounds lonely," Minho remarks. Seungmin flushes. Minho must have caught the redness of his cheeks, even in the dim light of the city, because he offers a tentative smile and says "It’s okay. I'm the same." Seungmin looks over at him in shock, eyes widening. Lee Minho, the enigma you are. 

They pull up at a fairly average Italian restaurant, Minho explaining that if he was going to buy, he should at least choose the food. Seungmin didn’t try to argue for the sole reason that he would have chosen Italian anyways. 

… 

To put it quite simply, it's awkward. It's awkward as hell because in front of him is a man seungmin knows nothing about except for the fact that he runs an entertainment company just like him, and that they both like Italian food, and would it be too dry to ask him how the business has been going? Would it seem like he's fishing for the company secrets?? Seungmin hopes not, because they've already ordered and there aren't any other conversation starters that Seungmin can think of right now. This is bad. Very bad. Minho looks over at him from where he's sipping his water primly. "Loosen up, you look like a sour lemon."

Seungmin chokes on his water. 

Minho frantically hands him a tissue, face pulled into one of light amusement and disgust. “What,” he smirks, placing his head on his hand and staring at Seungmin with those cat-like eyes. “Am I really so pretty that you can’t help but choke at the sight of me?” 

Seungmin snorts. So Minho wants banter? Seungmin can do banter. Seungmin can do banter very well. “Actually, it was more so that you look like such a demon I didn’t have it in me to react in any other way”. There’s a quiet pause in which Minho raises an eyebrow at him and Seungmin’s starting to wonder if he crossed the line because he still needs to remember that Minho is two years his senior and what he said could be considered to be awfully rude and-

And all his worries dissipate because Minho’s laughing and  _ wow _ , that’s relieving. “You’re funny, Kim Seungmin-ssi”. He muses, looking at Seungmin with a kind of curiosity set in his eyes that Seungmin hasn’t seen a very long time. The last time he’s seen those eyes were in a dream, full of explosions of color and flashing eyes that wink at him from behind a mask. Seungmin’s breath hitches- could it be? He’s not sure...there must be thousands of people with similar eyes to Minho. But there’s a chance. There’s a very large chance. Now the question is….does Seungmin want it? 

As the night drags on and Minho stares over at him with those very eyes that struck a chord in Seungmin’s heart, something within Seungmin says  _ yes _ . Yes, he does want it... If Lee Minho were to be Seungmin’s soulmate, then he thinks that wouldn’t be so bad. 

The image of Minho smirking at him over a glass of red wine and white pasta twirled over a silver fork runs through Seungmin’s head far too many times. 

As they part, Seungmin brushes his hand across Minho’s just to test something. Minho’s eyes widen suddenly. He’s shocked. Seungmin isn’t surprised. This could very well be it, but something tells Seungmin to back off, gather more evidence, get to know the other more, explore this shaky new friendship that he hopelessly wants to transform into something more, assuming his hunch is correct. 

They don’t talk about the sharp electric tingle that went down both their backs at even the slightest touch of their fingers. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay listen i was going to get this out earlier but then my friend made me all sad and emotional over true beauty and extraordinary you which was uncalled for btw 🙄🙄 oh and the fact that I've been binging haikyuu since Saturday and have now finished the first season has Not helped me be productive at all by the way
> 
> UHM AO3 I DO NOT LIKE YOU WHY MUST YOU KEEP CHOPPING MY COMMENTS AND END NOTES IN HALF UGH i forgot about the slash thing anyways let me try and remember what i said bc it was a Lot 
> 
> anyways i would like to: abolish school (specifically math), abolish quarantine, and send a very big thank you to my dear honey for the "seungmin is a main character in an indie movie" thing, you give me the most wonderful content and i love you for that. ALSO I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A LOVELY VALENTINES DAY!!!! i enjoyed mine quite a bit all i did was watch haikyuu and go out with my friends (we glared at the icky people who weren't wearing masks and took aesthetic pictures of veggie straws it was a blast). ALSO happy very belated one year ao3 anniversary to me!! icb it's been an entire year already :') also also also i dont think anyone on here remembers but back when i first started my ao3 i had this chungha pfp and it was quite iconic imo anyways idk i just wanted to express my delight at having it back bc i did not realize how much i missed her
> 
> my new obsession is skzcode THEYRE ALL SO FUNNY AND ADORABLE AND FOR WHAT 
> 
> also: thank you all so much for over 1.3k hits and 100+ kudos!! :(( yall are the best i love u 
> 
> sorry for the long author's note, please drop a comment! they motivate me lots :D and stay safe please <3 <3
> 
> (anyone who guesses what the next chapter will be on gets a cookie >:D)

**Author's Note:**

> comment por favor im nice 🙄
> 
> [(twitter)](https://twitter.com/mininnies)   
>  [(cc)](https://curiouscat.qa/mininnies)


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